Receptacle for holding and dispensing articles.



F. W. SHEE.

REGEPTACLE FOR HOLDING AND DISPENSING ARTICLES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 5, 1911.

7 1 008 861 Patented Nov. 14, 1911.

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,.. ,F. W. SHEE.

' REQEPTAGLE FOR HOLDING AND DISPENSING ARTICLES.

APPLIUATION FILED APR. 5, 1911.

1,008,867. Patented N0v.14,1911.

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gvwwtoz W I I rab/Z lfl fbee UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK W. SHEE, OF LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 RALPH 1. WILTON, OF WRIGHTSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

RECEPT ACLE FOR HOLDING AND DISPENSING ARTICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 14,1911.

Application filed April 5, 1911.. Serial No. 619,141.

To all whom it ma y concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK W. SHEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lancaster, in the county of Lancaster and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Receptacles for Holding and Dispensing Articles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to 'a receptacle for holding and dispensing drinking straws, and has for its main object to provide an ornamental case in which the straws are held in horizontal position, said case having a suitable opening for the insertion of the straws closed bya dust tight cover, and a simple mechanism on one or both sides preferably at the bottom of the receptacle, operable by an exterior lever to deliver said straws, one at a time, onto projecting supports in position to be easily grasped by the fingers. The straw delivering mechanism is also provided with means for agitating the straws nearest the outlet to prevent them from packing and thus interfere with and obstruct their proper delivery when the mechanism is actuated by pressure applied to the lever or other operative means.

Vith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel construction, arrangement, and combination of parts hereinafter described in detail, and pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention complete. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional View of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the top of the receptacle. Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2. Figs. 5 and 6 are detail sectional views on the same line showing the straw delivering mechanism in different positions. Fig. 7 is a section view of a modification. Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate a modified construction of the rocking bars by means of which articles in the receptacle are dispensed.

Similar reference characters are used for the same parts on all the figures.

In the drawings, A indicates the receptacle as a whole, the interior length of which is a little greater than that of a drinking straw and having a width and height which .may vary to adapt the receptacle to hold a j gteater or lesser nnnxha' of straws.

The ends 10 of the receptacle are preferably made of metal and stand vertically; the lower part of the sides 11 are also vertical and may be made of glass to expose the inclose'd straws to view. Above the vertical portions of the sides 11 are inwardly inclined portions 12, each in the form of an open frame behind which is placed a glass plate 13 to cover a sheet 14 containing an advertisement or other words and held against the glass plate by a backing 15 secured to the frame 12 in any convenient manner. Between the top edges of the ends 10 and the frames 12 is an opening through which the straws are inserted in the receptacle. This 0 ening is closed by a cover plate 16 forme with flanges 17 on its underside to enter the opening in the receptacle when the coveris put in place. One end of the cover 16 is notched at 18 to engage a pin 19, referably headed, projecting upwardly rom one of the ends 10 of the receptacle. A bolt- 20, having a finger grip on its outer end, is arranged to slide through the other end 10 of the receptacle near its top. Surrounding the bolt is a coil spring 21 attached at one end to said bolt; its other end bears against the end 10 of the receptacle within an opening therein, said spring tending to hold the bolt inwardly so that its inner end will engage a hole 22 in the adjacent flange 17 on the cover plate 16 and lock said cover securely on the receptacle. To remove the cover, it is only necessary to withdraw the bolt 20 from the hole 22 in the flange, lift the cover plate and disengage the notch 18 from the pin 19.

The bottom of the receptacle A is formed preferably of two leaves 23 pivoted on a horizontal rod 24 in the center of the receptacle, the ends of which rods are seated in sockets in theends 10 of the receptacle. The leaves 23 incline downwardly from the rod 24, one toward each side 11, their lower edges being spaced from said sides a suflicient distance to permit a straw passing freely between each leaf and its adjacent side. The lower end of each leaf 23 is supported on a rocking bar 25 j ournaled in the ends 10, each bar having a manually operating lever 26 fastened on one of its pintles, referably at opposite ends of the receptac e as shown. Each rocking bar 25 is made with a longitudinal V-shaped groove 27 on its outer side i which, in the normal position of the bar, is v immediately under the space between the leaf 23 and the side 11 through which space the straws fall, one at a time, into the groove and are prevented from falling therefrom by the bottom edge of the side 11 which extends sufficiently low for the purpose (see Fig. 4).

The rocking bars 25 are here shown as being retracted and retained in normal position by springs 28, attached to the rocking bar and to the receptacle, the retracting movement being limited by stops 29 projecting from each end 10 of the receptacle behind the rocking bars, (see Fig. 4). These same stops also limit the forward movement of the rocking bars when the operating levers 26 are depressed (see Fig. 6). The rocking bars 25 have each an inwardly proj ecting cam-like portion 25 that, as the bars are rocked to discharge straws elevate the leaves for the purpose of agitating and freeing the straws from any tendency to bridge or form an arch which would interfere with their proper and regular delivery. The cam portions 25 extend preferably the length of the rocking bars and project inwardly sufficiently far to throw the preponderance of weight within their axes of oscillation, so that the rocking bars will naturally tend to return to normal position after the operating pressure has been withdrawn from the levers 26 irrespective of the springs 28 which may or may not be employed. One or more pins 30 project from the rocking bars below the levers 23 and pass through notches 31 in said lower edges of the leaves at each operation of the bars to feed the straws toward the grooves 27. Below the rocking bars 25 is a plate 32 which forms a false bottom to the receptacle, and from which extend brackets 33 on each side to receive the discharged straw and hold it in position to be easily grasped by the fingers. The bottom of the ends 10 may be fashioned into feet 34 to which are fastened shoes 35 of rubber or other suitable material for pro-- tacle. The top of the rocking bar moves out-.

wardly at the same time and passing under the straw next above the one in the notch, prevents it falling thereinto until the return of the rocking bar. Further movement of the finger lever 26 carries the rocking bar to the position shown in Fig. 6, where its movement is arrested by the stops 29. In this position the straw rolls out of the groove and, falling onto the brackets 33, rolls to the lowest part and there remains until removed. The finger is now removed from the lever 26 and, under the tension of the spring 28, the rocking bar returns to normal position. During the movement of the rocking bar just described, its cam-like portion acted on the superposed leaf 23 to raise and lower the same for a short distance, and also causes the pins 30 projecting therefrom to pass above said leaf andfeed the straws supported thereon.

Instead of applying a finger operating lever 26 on each rocking bar, where mischievously inclined persons couldeasily operate the device and cause the discharge of more straws than were required, the structure shown in Fig. 7 may be substituted. In this case the journals 36 ofthe rocking bars 25 terminate within housings 37 projecting from the ends 10 of the receptacles, out of reach of the fingers. The ends of the journals are made of polygonal or other form to receive a key 38, carried by one in authority, by means of which the rocking bar is operated.

A modified construction of the rocking bars is illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8, and as there shown a push-plate 40 is applied to the front of the rocking bar 25 and extends below it. The plate 40 may be cast integral with the rocking bar, or secured thereto in any convenient manner. The pintles 41 may.

also be integral with the rockingbar, but in this instance they do not extend through the ends 10 of the receptacle as there is no need for the operating finger 26. The inside or back part 42 of the rocking bar is enlarged and made much heavier than the part on the outside of its axis ofrotation to enable the rocking bar to return to normal position against the stops 29, thus wholly avoiding the use of springs. The plate 40 when pushed turns the rocking bar 25 to discharge the straw or other article in the groove 27 onto the fingers 33 projecting from said bars. On removing the finger from the push-plate, the weighted rear of the rocking bar returns said bar with. its groove 27 to initial position to receive the next article to be dispensed.

Instead of making the bottom of. the receptacle of two leaves, one only may be used, extending at an incline from one side to the other, or a part of the inclined bottom may be fixed and the leaf pivoted to the lower edge thereof. In either case, but one rocking bar is necessary.

Having thus described my invention what Iclaim asmew is 1. In a device of the class described, a receptacle for holding articles to be dispensed, a horizontally pivoted bottom therefor inclined toward one side of said receptacle and spaced from said side a distance suflicient to permit one article only at a time to pass thereb'etween, an eccentrically ivoted rocking bar formed'with a cam sur ace on which the outer free edge of said pivoted bottom is supported and by which said bottom is purpose of feeding articles to the delivery front of said bar for eccentrically pivoted rocking bar rovided with pivots projecting integrally rom the ends thereof. and havin in one side of said bar a straight V-sha e longitudinal groove to receive the artic e to be dispensed, the side of the' bar opposite said groove projecting a greater dlstance beyond its axis of oscillation than said grooved side'and having a cam-like formation, article feeding fingers projecting laterally from said bar, and movable with it-to prevent the articles to, be dispensed from becoming clogged or packed, and an integral projection on the manuallyrocking the same.

In testimony whereofI have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK W. SHEE;

V Witnesses:

CERAs W; ERBY, PARKEE. SHEE. 

